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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24126010">Lapis Lazuli</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:08:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,637</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24126010</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate version of the events after Mirror Gem</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anon Works</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lapis Lazuli</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lapis Lazuli</p><p>She was drowning. </p><p>Eyes closed, sinking below shadowy depths, letting the water take her. All the sounds were muted and her vision was taken by the familiar blue. With one flick of her wrist she could move the ocean to her command, drown the earth. She was in control at last.</p><p>So why did she feel she was still in the mirror? Trapped, soul breaking from crushing loneliness, screaming for someone, anyone to let her out. Watching and waiting, hopes dashed as she was confined within a pearl. Broken, sobbing, clinging onto to the thought of homeworld. Lapis Lazuli would’ve given anything to go back.</p><p>She didn’t want to. </p><p>Whoever she was before had been shattered, soul scattered in that cracked mirror. Whatever she was now was a broken part, much like the tear on her back. Homeworld wanted Lapis Lazuli, not her. </p><p>Wasn’t it horrifying to know that even your home wouldn’t accept you? The sea reacted to her sorrow, bending into itself. Gritting her teeth, she forced her power down. It was the Crystal Gems. It was all their fault. Homeworld may have been the one to put her in that mirror but they were her jailers, the ones that knew she was there and turned a blind eye. The ones that had kept her, screaming, breaking, losing parts of herself until she couldn’t even recognize the mess they had left in the mirror. </p><p>It was all them.</p><p>With an anguished howl she slashed through the water, sending a powerful current to break a nearby stone. Satisfaction flooded through her as it snapped into little tiny pieces. It felt so good to command the water again. She would make them, the ones who broke her pay. </p><p>Even as the thought went through her mind, she sagged. What good would it do? Hurting them wouldn’t get her anything. It wouldn’t bring back the centuries she had lost. It wouldn’t bring back her home. Nor her past.</p><p>Lapis Lazuli was gone. All that remained was a cracked gem, with a hole in her heart and nowhere to belong. Drowning in the sea.</p><p> </p><p>Humans were an odd sort. Lapis Lazuli hadn’t taken notice of them before since they were going to be removed. Now she wished Lapis had. Though she puzzled over their actions, she often couldn’t figure anything out. </p><p>Steven, for example. Despite the gem in his stomach, he was certainly a human. There was no question about that. Though he may be a Crystal Gem, he had freed her from her imprisonment against the objections of his team. He had given her a life again. Even when he had chosen his team over her in the end, she didn’t fault him for it. After all, who was she? A broken, crazed, slightly demented gem who had wanted to shatter his team the moment she laid eyes on them. Who would want her?</p><p>Still, she kept a close watch on Steven especially. At the very least she owed him for the punishment he had no doubt incurred from the other Crystal Gems. Didn’t that thought just make her want to poof them. But no, they were precious to him. Judging from their banter they appeared to act as mentors for the young Steven. Travelling around the world and bubbling monstrous gems. The blue gem shuddered at the memory. They were incoherent, rabid things with no thought but to destroy. Mercifully they were not conscious else she might’ve thought herself lucky for being confined within the mirror.</p><p>Eventually, she had to admit she had some selfish reasons watching the Crystal Gems. They were the only ones that made any remote sense. Humans were unpredictable, much like Steven. It was... unsettling. She couldn’t predict them at all, and that made them dangerous. Being poofed, helpless, was a lot more terrifying after the mirror. </p><p>So she might’ve spent the majority of her time watching them interact. Determined to find evidence of their rotten nature she focused on the Gems but... they just seemed relaxed. Well, except Pearl. Or when Steven was being foolish. Or when a corrupted gem was trying to murder them.</p><p>That was why she was watching when the Green Hand arrived. Last she checked, there had only been a Blue and Yellow arm. The reminder of all she had lost ached deep in her heart. The annoying Peridot that she had noted popping around scrambled out of the ship, lead by a truly monstrous Jasper. Tall and imposing, with an built, enormous body... she shuddered. She couldn’t even imagine fighting against that. At least Steven wasn’t there.</p><p>Then, of course, he was. Against the wishes of the Crystal Gems, he came back. Ever defensive of his friends, jumped in front of the blast. For one heart-stopping moment, she thought he was dead. Then the dust cleared, there he was, with Rose Quartz’s shield. The leader of the rebellion. Without a second to lose, she dropped the scry and dove into the water, shooting towards the beach. Had it only been the Gems she would have taken perverse amusement in watching them poof, then carries off to Homeworld to stand trial. Serves them right. But this was Steven, who had been nothing but kind. Freeing her from centuries of darkness. She would not let him die. </p><p>With the wash of an ocean tide, she arrived. Immediately she took in the cored Garnet, Steven’s limp form. A wave of anger rushed through her. “Leave him alone!” </p><p>Occupied with zapping Amethyst , Jasper turned around just in time to catch a water fist to the face. Hurriedly she sped to Steven’s side, but it seemed he was only unconscious. Relieved, she gently set him down and focused back on Jasper.</p><p>Whereas most Gems would’ve been sent sprawling into the sand, Jasper had taken a single step back. The fact she hadn’t attacked could probably be attributed to surprise. “Who’re you?” she demanded. “Another Crystal Gem?”</p><p>Exploiting the momentary pause, Pearl lunged for Japer’s exposed back, spear outstretched. In one moved Jasper caught the staff, taking advantage of Pearl’s overextended form to zap her too. “Peridot!” she roared, uncaring of the Crystal Gems she had just defeated. “You said that there were only four Gems on this planet!”</p><p>Drawing up a screen Peridot protested, “There were! According to my initial observations-“</p><p>“Apparently you didn’t look hard enough!” Looming over Peridot’s shrinking form she continued, “Not only did you miss Ross Quartz, but also a Lapis Lazuli. Are you really that blind? To miss that, are you defective?”</p><p>Peridot stammered through an excuse.</p><p>“Forget it,” Jasper scoffed. “You’re not worth my time.” Finally, she faced her. “What do you want? To protect your friends? Surely, you see how well that worked out for these weaklings.”</p><p>“I don’t care what you do with them,” she said, gesturing to the cores on the ground. “Jail them, shatter them. I don’t care.” </p><p>Jasper rose an eyebrow. “Oh?”</p><p>“Those Crystal Gems kept me imprisoned here for centuries,” she snarled, balling her fist. “I would do it myself, if I felt anything but contempt. For me, there’s no difference if they exist or not.</p><p>“But this human freed me. I won’t let you take him.”</p><p>“She’s Rose Quartz! The leader of the rebellion, the one who shattered Pink Diamond.” Jasper threw up her arms. “Out of all Gems to defend, you choose him?”</p><p>“His name is Steven. And yes. I do.”</p><p>A jeering snarl curled across Jasper’s face. “Fine. Feel the wrath of Home-world for choosing to protect a traitor.”</p><p>Without a second’s pause, she pounced. Unable to dodge, lest leaving Steven, Lazuli threw another punch. The breaking currents barely fazed Jasper. Both she and Steven were thrown back. Gritting her teeth, Lazuli summoned a Jasper copy out of the sea. It was blown away.</p><p>“Is that all you got?” Jasper sneered. Reforming behind him, the copy threw a elbow at his head. Reacting faster than any Gem Lazuli had ever seen, Jasper ducked the blow and rammed another fist through it. A second later it was back.</p><p>Taking Steven with her, Lazuli leaped onto a water pillar that rose out of the ground. Right now she could run into the ocean, hide within it’s depths. But Homeworld would never let Steven go. So she summoned three more copies of Jasper and had them all attack at once.</p><p>It was the most difficult battle she had ever fought. Normally a single copy would bring Gems to their knees. Jasper was a freak of a Quartz, breezing through her opponents with a practiced ease. Had they not had the ability to reform, this battle would have been over long ago. Growing frustrated, Jasper blasted them apart and screamed at her,</p><p>“Get down here and face me, you coward!”</p><p>“Why?” Lazuli crossed her arms. “I’m not your physical match. In a battle of strength I’d lose everytime. But if we’re talking about Gem abilities....” Two more copies rose out of the ground, making for a total of six. Confident she could beat her now, Lazuli’s soldiers advanced. “I don’t want to fight you. Just take the Crystal Gems and leave.”</p><p>“Not without Rose.” With that, Jasper rolled onto the ground and spun. Just like that, she had temporarily defeated all of Lazuli’s shoulders. They would soon reform, but that wasn’t what Jasper was aiming for. Instead, in a shocking show of strength, she burst from the ground and shot toward her. Lazuli barely managed to dodge. Jasper landed on her ship and zoomed towards her again, snatching her wrist and yanking her off the pillar. </p><p>“Steven!” she called, reaching towards him as he fell. Jasper didn’t give her a chance, smashing her ribcage. With a gasp, she poofed, again leaving her at the mercy of the Homeworld Gems.</p>
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